The Mick Freer Archives (Updated more photos added 07/12/17)

Photos older than five years old (preferably much older)
User avatar
bigcrow
Posts: 1323
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 2:43 pm
Location: Worcestershire, U.K
Contact:

The Mick Freer Archives (Updated more photos added 07/12/17)

Post by bigcrow »

It would have been my Dad’s 71st birthday tomorrow, so it seems appropriate to show you some of his vast slide collection. He started taking his first slides in the summer of 1971. He also attended every single IAT/RIAT apart from last year when he was too ill to attend. Here is a selection of shots showing the large variety of types & Air Forces which could be seen in the U.K in the seventies… I will be regularly updating this post when I get the chance to fire up the scanner.

First up a shot of a very youthful looking Mr Freer Snr at Portland, prior to an air to air with 829 Sqdn Wasps

#1

ImageXT423 Wasp HAS.1 829 Naval Air Squadron, RNAS Portland by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#2

Image54-1640 C-130A 105th TAS, Tennessee ANG, Nashville Airport. by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#3

Image56-0617 B-52D 22nd Bomb Wing, March AFB, California by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#4

Image147562 SP-2H French Navy, 25 Flotille, Lann Bihoue AB. by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#5

Image156/12-YK Super Mystere B2 FAF, Escadron de Chase 01.012, Cambrai AB by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#6

ImageXX947 Tornadp GR1 BAE\A&AEE MOD(PE) Boscombe Down. by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#7

ImageXP737 Lightning F3 226 Operational Conversion Unit, RAF Coltishall. by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#8

Image158802/AB-612 EA-6B VAQ-133 'Wizzards', NAS Whidbey Island by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#9

ImageXW626 Comet C4 Royal Aircraft Establishment, MOD(PE) Bedford. by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#10

ImageXZ286 Nimrod AEW3 BAE/A&AEE, MOD(PE) Boscombe Down. by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#11

Image155880/NH-107 F-4J VF-213 "Black Lions" NAS Miramar, Ca by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#12

Image156640/603 RA-5C Vigilante RVAH-1 "Cool Tigers", NAS Key West, Fl. by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#13

Image155684/AJ-502 A-6E VA-35 "Black Panthers', NAS Oceana, VA by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#14

Image64-14847 RC-135U 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Offutt AFB, Nebraska by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#15

Image144852 / 18 EA-3B VQ-2 'Batmen', NAS Rota, Spain. by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#16

Image159449/AE-212 F-14A VF-142 'The Ghostriders' NAS Oceana, USS America. by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#17

ImageTG503 Hastings T5, Strike Command Bombing School (1066 Squadron), RAF Lindholme by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr
Last edited by bigcrow on Thu 07 Dec 2017, 3:12 pm, edited 8 times in total.

User avatar
Russ
Posts: 5592
Joined: Wed 23 Jul 2008, 6:51 am
Location: UK

Re: The Mick Freer Archives

Post by Russ »

Absolutely brilliant Stu. :clap: :cool:

This thread is a fitting tribute to your Dad. I look forward to seeing the additions in the future.

strangelookingalien
Posts: 848
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 7:39 pm

Re: The Mick Freer Archives

Post by strangelookingalien »

Wonderful photographs.

It's lovely to think of your dad taking a picture all those years ago without a thought, not knowing they'd still be bringing pleasure to plenty of other people in years to come!

Love the BUFF most of all.

User avatar
Arthur Tee
Posts: 1169
Joined: Mon 15 Sep 2008, 12:42 pm
Location: Shawbury, Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Re: The Mick Freer Archives

Post by Arthur Tee »

Stumped for words really...

I can only echo both comments above! :clap:

Arthur
Canon PowerShot SX40HS - It's not what you've got - it's what you do with it!

User avatar
MikeH
Posts: 1470
Joined: Tue 12 Aug 2008, 5:03 pm
Location: Norwich.

Re: The Mick Freer Archives

Post by MikeH »

Wonderful stuff, Stu. It appears your Father's and my paths must have crossed many times. These photos are a great reminder of a bygone age. :clap:

User avatar
Mad Dan
Posts: 2521
Joined: Mon 01 Sep 2008, 5:06 am
Location: Somewhere in England

Re: The Mick Freer Archives

Post by Mad Dan »

There's a few there that look mighty familiar... Reckon I must have been standing next to your Pa for several of these...Nos.2, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 16 are all Greenham Common. No.3 is Brize Norton, Nos.6 and 10 are Farnborough, as is No.9 I think. Nos.11 and 12 were aboard a carrier in the Solent - not the Kitty Hawk but the name escapes me at the moment. Possibly USS America... No.13 is on the Nimitz in the Solent, but I'm not sure about 12, 15 and 17...though I am fairly confident No.14 is Mildenhall round near the pig farm that used to be there.

Great days indeed - and great pics... We were so fortunate then... I really ought to dig some of my stuff out and get scanning.
I am not a loony... I used to be, but I think I am better now...

User avatar
hunterxf382
Posts: 1698
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 9:36 pm
Location: West Midlands
Contact:

Re: The Mick Freer Archives

Post by hunterxf382 »

What a lovely collection of a bygone age - thank you for sharing them, and I'll keep an eye on your Flickr uploads!
Pete Buckingham
Volunteer in Aviation
Former RAF Engineer
http://hunterxf382.weebly.com/

User avatar
AndyXH558
Posts: 2068
Joined: Sat 04 Aug 2012, 2:37 pm

Re: The Mick Freer Archives

Post by AndyXH558 »

Stu, your Dad's pictures have given me a lot of pleasure over the years. It will be great to see more of them, some I do remember, the comrod and aew3 especially

Have you thought of doing a book with some of them in. Perhaps for charity? I for one would buy it.
Last edited by AndyXH558 on Sun 18 May 2014, 6:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Life's a piece of S*** if you look at it!

User avatar
JJC
Posts: 2295
Joined: Mon 19 Apr 2010, 7:14 pm
Location: North England

Re: The Mick Freer Archives

Post by JJC »

A stunning selection of photographs!
''Time to dive into the fireworks!''

User avatar
POD
Posts: 646
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 4:11 pm
Location: South West
Contact:

Re: The Mick Freer Archives

Post by POD »

Stu,

Top shots from a top man :rock: :rock:

Kev
Tiger Tiger!

Timc
Posts: 1320
Joined: Sat 13 Sep 2008, 6:32 pm
Location: Somewhere very close to Cosford!
Contact:

Re: The Mick Freer Archives

Post by Timc »

Hi Stu,

What a brilliant tribute to your Dad!

The quality of the photographs are such that they look like they could have been taken yesterday!

Thank you so much for sharing.

Cheers
Tim

User avatar
jonny7
Posts: 1195
Joined: Tue 24 Jul 2012, 9:16 am

Re: The Mick Freer Archives

Post by jonny7 »

Sometimes its just more than the aircraft that make you feel the impact of a set of photos. Your words about your Dad and his passion, brought life to the photos. :smile:
Thank-you for posting up... :up:
Don't say something crass, to hide your envy. Just give credit, when its applicable...

farnboroughrob
Posts: 2118
Joined: Fri 05 Jun 2009, 8:31 am

Re: The Mick Freer Archives

Post by farnboroughrob »

Beautiful shots, digital quality in an era of crap cameras, especially love the Tornado, or was it still the MRCA then? More please. :rock:

Niallxg
Posts: 1174
Joined: Wed 03 Sep 2008, 5:23 pm

Re: The Mick Freer Archives

Post by Niallxg »

Superb set of shots. :clap:

User avatar
Westy
Posts: 453
Joined: Mon 01 Sep 2008, 2:32 pm
Location: Essex

Re: The Mick Freer Archives

Post by Westy »

The least we can do is bother to comment as you have bothered to upload these. Your Dad clearly had a very special talent, and in the days too when (unlike today) creating a good picture was a human calculation. Ive often stumbled across a real belter on Airlines.net and more or less without exception, M Freer is the photographer!

Great tribute :clap:

King Cobra
Posts: 1340
Joined: Wed 17 Nov 2010, 1:20 pm

Re: The Mick Freer Archives

Post by King Cobra »

Wonderful stuff. Thanks for sharing. The Hastings T5 is a nice catch - a good friend of mine worked on them.

Maisie
Posts: 4129
Joined: Wed 28 Oct 2009, 5:02 pm

Re: The Mick Freer Archives

Post by Maisie »

Lovely, thanks for sharing and I look forward to more :)
6D | 7D | 60D
11-16 f/2.8 | 24-105 IS L | 70-300 IS USM | 50 f/1.4 | 100 f/2.8 | 400 f/5.6

User avatar
LN Strike Eagle
UKAR Staff
Posts: 11191
Joined: Mon 21 Jul 2008, 3:29 pm

Re: The Mick Freer Archives

Post by LN Strike Eagle »

Fantastic stuff.

How good does that Tornado look?!! :shock:
"You really are an oafish philistine at times!"

User avatar
Red Dragon
Posts: 1721
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 6:56 pm

Re: The Mick Freer Archives

Post by Red Dragon »

Unfortunately I never knew or met your father, but he certainly had the eye for framing a shot. As everyone else has said, it would be fitting for you to post more and it seems that all of us on UKAR can enjoy these gorgeous photos from a unfortunately long gone era of aviation variety.
Last edited by Red Dragon on Fri 16 May 2014, 10:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

foxfour
Posts: 849
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 11:48 pm

Re: The Mick Freer Archives

Post by foxfour »

Wonderful stuff, top quality scans.

User avatar
MarkL
UKAR Supporter
Posts: 1874
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 5:44 pm

Re: The Mick Freer Archives

Post by MarkL »

Fantastic tribute !

You must, of course, post many more ! :smile:


Mark
HTAFC

User avatar
Dollar99
Posts: 465
Joined: Fri 05 Sep 2008, 1:31 pm

Re: The Mick Freer Archives

Post by Dollar99 »

Stu

Excellent selection, very well scanned too.

You've no idea how long I've waited to see a good shot of that SP-2H at Greenham or the OCU Hastings :biggrin:

Mick's photos are a great memorial to a great "aviation enthusiast". He is missed.

Sadly I have part of Phil Duckett's collection to go through at the minute, another one who has left us too soon.

Look forward to the next instalment.

Regards

Ian

IanH
Posts: 1482
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 10:18 pm

Re: The Mick Freer Archives

Post by IanH »

Legendary all round Stu. Glorious reminder of wonderful days all taken by a true gent and one of the nicest people I`ve had the pleasure to meet. Miss pa a lot.

Big hug to all your gang. Great to see you last Sunday. Best wishes, Ian

silver fox
Posts: 468
Joined: Mon 01 Sep 2008, 7:57 pm

Re: The Mick Freer Archives

Post by silver fox »

Thank's for posting, superb collection and tribute to a talented guy.

User avatar
tankbuster81
UKAR Supporter
Posts: 3442
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 9:14 pm
Location: Rochester,Kent.

Re: The Mick Freer Archives

Post by tankbuster81 »

A joy to look at!
Don't bother running, you'll only die tired!!

Post Reply